Hydro bathtub safety aid



Dec. 8, 1970 H. A. DISCOE 3,545,013

- I XYDRO BATHTUB SAFETY AID Filed May 23, 1969 FIG. .1.

INVENTOR. H4L EN 4. 0/5005,

United States Patent 3,545,013 HYDRO BATHTUB SAFETY AID Harlen A. Discoe, P.0. Box 1511, Grand Island, Nebr. 68801 Filed May 23, 1969, Ser. No. 827,362 Int. Cl. A47k 3/12 US. Cl. 4185 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hydro bathtub safety aid comprising a swivel chair which can be detachably connected to a hydraulic cylinder and raised and lowered in a bathtub by an invalid or injured party with valve means operatively connected to the cylinder for using the conventional water supply pressure in a home and the like for raising and lowering the chair.

The present invention relates to an elevating seat, and more particularly to an elevating seat to be used to lower and raise a person who is in a sitting position into and out of a bathtub.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bathtub safety aid and lifting device in which a swivel seat can be raised and lowered by using the normal water pressure associated with a bathtub for elevating and lowering the seat in response to the control of a four-way valve.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a bathtub lift device which does not interfere in any manner with the normal usage of the bathtub and which lift means can be completely covered by a cover member when the device is not in use.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel and economical and easily installed bathtub lift which comprises a swivel chair or seat that can be threadedly connected to a plunger of a hydraulic ram for raising and lowering of the chair when desired.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the bathtub lift device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view with portions cut away to more fully illustrate the invention in a clear manner;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the bathtub lift device embodied in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the upper portion of the hydraulic cylinder and the bottom of the bathtub with the cover means utilized when the bathtub lift chair has been removed from the tub; H

v.FIG. 5 is a view of the four-way valve. connected to the hydraulic lift when it is in a neutral position;

- FIG. 6 is a view of the position of'the valve when it is used to raise the cylinder piston rod and the swivel chair, and

FIG. 7 illustrates the position of the valve when the bathtub lift chair is being lowered.

-Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a bathtub of conventional. design which may be a left-hand or a.right-hand"bathtub. The tub is provided with the usual water compartment 12 and has the continuous side wall 14 extending therearound and is further provided with a slopingbottom 16. The bath tub is disposed in the usual foundation structure 18 and is provided with a tub drain 20 from which wa'stewater is removed from the tub. The tub is further supplied with a water supply pipe 22 and the water supply pipe is under the usual city water pressure or town water pressure of approximately 50 lbs. of water pressure. Recessed in the ice wall 14 of the tub is a four-way control valve generally designated 24. The valve 24 is disposed in any desired position in the tub apron or the wall and a plunger 26 is provided for operating the valve.

The valve 24 has two spaced exhaust or discharge lines 28 and 30 in communication with the tub waste drain 20 through a line 32. The valve 24 is also provided with two ports or pipe connections 34 and 36 both of which are in communication with the opposite ends of a hydraulic cylinder 38 as best seen in FIG. 5. The cylinder 38 is provided with a piston or plunger 40 extending out of the top thereof and the cylinder 38 is supported by bolt members 42 as best seen in FIG. 4. Water under pressure, which is the usual water pressure supplied by the city or the town in which a house containing the bathtub is located, is supplied through a line or pipe 46 connected to the tub water supply line 22.

The plunger 26 is provided with an upper valve disc 48 and a lower valve disc 50 connected together by a spindle 52 as best seen in FIG. 5. The plunger 26 is disposed in a neutral position by a spring member 54 in the bottom of the valve and a spring member 56 in the upper portion of the valve.

When the valve is disposed in a neutral position, as best shown in FIG. 5, the water supply line 46 is cut off from the cylinder pipe line connections 34 and 36 and the piston 40 of the cylinder is maintained in the position where it is when the valve plunger is disposed in the neutral position.

When it is desired to raise the piston 40 in the cylinder 38, the plunger 26 is pulled upwardly into the position shown in FIG. 6. This will cause the water supply line 46 to communicate with the upper pipe connection 36 and the lower pipe connection 34 to be in communication with the exhaust pipe line 30 and the drain 20 through the line 32. Thus, the water under pressure, or the city water pressure, will be supplied to the lower end of the cylinder 38 through the line 36 and will cause the piston within the cylinder 38 to move the piston rod or plunger 40 upwardly. The upper end of the piston rod 40 is provided with a threaded end, as best seen in FIG. 4, and a swivel chair or seat 57 is threaded thereon so that the seat support rod 58 will move upwardly and downwardly with the piston rod 40. Thus the movement of the piston rod 40 downwardly in the cylinder 38 will lower the chair 57 therewith, and the chair 57 can be lowered sufficiently so that a person will be seated adjacent the bottom of the tub.

When it is desired to lower the chair or seat 57 to its lowest 'position so that a party can sit in the tub, the plunger 26 is depressed or pushed downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 7. At this time the water supply line 46 is then in communication with the pipe connection 34 adjacent the bottom of the cylinder 38 while the upper pipe 36 is in communication with the exhaust line 32 through the pipe connection 28 so that the water in the lower end .of the cylinder 38 will be discharged to waste.

7 Referring to FIG. 4, it will be noted that the bottom of the tub 16 has the upper ends of the bolt members connected to a recess or countersink 68 therein. When the shaft 58 of the seat 57 is unthreaded from the top of the plunger 40 and placed in storage, a cap 64 is snapped into the recess 68 over a lip 66 therein so as to cover off and hide the piston or plunger 40 from sight. The cap 64 may also be provided with a water tight gasket or the continuous annular leg 62 of the cap may be made of plastic or resilient material to provide a seal.

Inasmuch as various changes may be made in the relative arrangement and location of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention, it is not meant to limit the scope of the invention except by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a bathtub having a bottom wall provided with a countersunk recess, a hydraulic cylinder secured to said countersunk recess and depending vertically therebeneath, said cylinder having a piston provided with a piston rod having a threaded top end which is receivable in said recess when the piston is in a lowered position in said hydraulic cylinder, said recess having an inwardly projecting top lip, a cover gap engageable on said lip and having depending resilient means lockingly engageable with said lip to releasably lock the cap in covering relation to said recess substantially flush with the bottom of the bathtub, a seat threadedly engageable on said threaded top end when the cover cap is removed, said cylinder having respective control conduits connected to its top and bottom end portions, a water supply line, a drainpipe, a four-way vertical valve having a reciprocal plunger mounted on the top of the bathtub sidewall adjacent the location of said countersunk bottom recess, and conduit means connecting said control conduits to said water supply line and drainpipe through said four-way valve, said valve having means to reversibly connect said control conduits to said water supply line and drainpipe responsive to reciprocation of said plunger.

2. The structural combination of claim 1, and wherein said seat comprises a swivel chair.

3. The structural combination of claim 2, and spring means in said valve biasing said plunger to a neutral intermediate position, and means in said valve sealing off said control conduits relative to said water supply line and said drainpipe when said plunger is in said neutral intermediate position.

4. The structural combination of claim 3, and wherein said valve comprises a vertical housing having top and bottom walls, the plunger being reciprocably received in said housing, said plunger having vertically spaced upper and lower valve discs, said spring means comprising respective spring members disposed between the upper disc and the top wall of the housing and between the lower disc and the bottom wall of the housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,683,430 9/1928 Wright 4185 2,133,587 10/1938 Stark 4--185 3,106,723 10/1963 Carpenter 4185 3,435,466 4/1969 Cheney 4185 3,467,970 9/ 1969 Ingemansson 4-185 3,477,069 11/1969 Stiger 4--18S LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner J. H. DODGE, Assistant Examiner 

